A small plane went over the side of the runway in Iglulik on Sept. 17, but neither the pilot nor the aircraft’s lone passenger was injured.
The plane, a chartered Piper PA-31, was making a technical stop in the community before transporting equipment to the Mary River iron mine site.
Around 5:15 p.m. local time, the plane began conducting a pre-fight maneuver called a run-up, which is intended to ensure systems and engines are operating properly prior to a flight.
During the run-up, the plane inadvertently went off the runway, and settled on the downslope of an embankment.
The GN’s Department of Economic Development and Transportation acknowledged the incident in an email on the morning of Sept. 19.
“There were two people on board, the pilot and one other occupant, and both managed to exit the aircraft without assistance,” spokesperson Weichien Chan stated. “Assistance was provided to them shortly after the occurrence.”
The incident was reported to the Canadian government’s Transportation Safety Board (TSB).
The TSB did not deploy investigators to Iglulik, but is “still gathering information and assessing the incident,” according to spokesperson Sophie Wistaff.
“The incident has been classified as a class 5 occurrence,” Wistaff explained. “Class 5 occurrences are not subject to comprehensive investigations followed by an investigation report. However, data on Class 5 occurrences are recorded in suitable scope for possible future safety analysis, statistical reporting, or archival purposes.”